US834369A - Machine for sewing hay. - Google Patents

Description

110.834,36@ PATBNTB110cT.so,19o6.

' w. D1oHMANN.

MACHINE FOR SEWING HAY.

APPLICATION FILED In 1,1905.

2*-, I Il 'Wg u lli! Wit-Amm l Np. 834.369, V l PATENTBD 0013.0', 1906.

n l v w. 'DICHMANN- MAGHINBPOR SEWING HAY.

APPLIGATION FILED HAY 1,1905.

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No. 834,369. PATBNTBD 00L 3o, 1906.

W. DIGHMANN. MACHINE FOR SEWINGHAY.

APPLIOATIONIFILED HAY 1. 1905.

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PATBNTED 00T', so" W. DICH-MANN. MACHINE POR SEWING HAY.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1,1905.

.- PATENTEDQGT. so, 1906.

w. DIGHMANN.

6 BHEETB-BHSET 6.

MACHINE PoR SEWING HAY.

AYPLIOATION FILED KAY 1,1906.

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Nwwmw-@ e UNITED sTATns PATENT OFFICE.

MACHINE FOR SEWING HAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented'oct. 30,1906.

Application filed May 1, 1905. Serial No. 258,375.

To all whom t mlty'concrn: s

Be it known that I, WILLIAM DIcIIMANN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oshkosh, in the'county of Winnebago and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Sewing Hay, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in machines for sewing coarse fibrous material such, for instance, as hay, grasses, or the like. It is particularly y'adapted for sewing strands of hay laid arallel to form a continuous strip from w "ch pieces'may be cut,

- as in producing packing closures, such as bottlc-wrappers or the like'.

It is vthe object of the invention to make it possible to feed hay or like material into the machine spread comparatively evenly therein, so that the machine may hold and feed the material automatically to the stitchingneedles, the ends of the wisps of hay being trimmed -to form the strip of a given width.

It is also the object of the invention to provide a stitching means which will bind the material 'lof which the strip is to be formed above and below, loopers and needles being employed and hooks for holding the loops of thread or cord or other material which may be employed for stitching the hay.

It is also a further object of the machine to provide a means which shall automatically cut the strip after it has been stitched into v proper lengths for forming various articles.

v.is

With these and other objects in view the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved hay-sewing machine. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical central longitudinal section through the sewing portion of the machine. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section through the upper portion of the machine, taken in front of the needle-operating mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view takenupon the line of the aXis ofthe chainactuating shaft located at one end ofthe machine,the said section being on an enlarged scale. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail view, partially in section and partially in elevation, showing the'edge-trimming cutters. Fig. 7

' is an enlarged detail view showing in top plan the chain-actuating sprocket mechanism and the cutting mechanism for severing portions of the stitched strip of hay.

The machine forming the subject-matter of the present invention is provided with a suitable frame having supporting legs or standards 2 near the ends thereof and atop or bed 3, over which the material travels in being manipulated for forming a web or strip of fibrous material. Arranged transversely of the machine and near the central `part thereof is the main driving-shaft 5. This shaft is located below the bed 3 and supported by suitable bars and bracing-pieces inthe frame. Theends of the shaft 5 project beyond the sides of the framing, and to one end of the said shaft are secured fast and loose pulleys 4 for receiving power from any suitable sourceof energy to drive the machine. The shaft-5 extends across the machine in such a position that it can be utilized for o erating the needles and loopers of the stitc ing mechanism, as well as the loop-holdin hooks cooperating therewith. The sai shaft is also providedwith means by which the feeding mechanism for carrying the material through the machine is operated in proper relation to the movements of the stitching mechanism. The shaft 5 carries an eccentric 6 near one end, which is connected, by means of a pitman 7, with a rocking lever 8. The lever 8 is mounted at one end of a counter-shaft 9, which is located near one'end of the machine and which is provided with the feed-driving mechanism. It is desirable to impart an intermittent movement to the materials fed through the machine, and the lever 8 is therefore extended beyond the shaft 9, 'so as to carry a pawl 11, which engages the teeth of a ratchet-wheel 10. The said ratchet-wheel 10 is rigidly secured to the shaft 9, so that any impulse imparted thereto will actuate the feed mechanism. As shown in Fig. 5, the lever 3 may be a doublelever comprising a bar arranged on the opposite sides of the ratchet 10 and connected at its ICO ends bycross or tiebolts. The lever 8 is.

- chine a series of sprocket-wheels 14, which are rigidly secured upon the shaft 9, so as to turn therewith. The up er stretches or laps of the chains extend a ong approximately even with the upper surface of the frame-bed 3 to the o posite end of the machine, where the said c ains ass around sprocket-wheels 16, secured to t e transverse shaft 17. The

chains thencepass downwardly beneath the operating mechanism mounted upon the central portion of the machine and back to the actuating sprocket-wheels 14. The lower lap or stretch of each of the chains is engaged by a s rocket-wheel 18, which is carried on a shaft y an arm or frame 18a, pivoted to the under side of the frame. The weight of these sprocket-wheels. and the arms which carry them act as tighteners for the chain and take up any slack therein automatically. The upper stretches or laps of the chain travel upon longitudinally-arranged ways or supports 19. The chains are thus prevented from sagging in their position for feeding and supporting the hay as itis carried to the needles. At the front end of the machine a feed-plate 2() is provided, which is made of sufficient width to permit of the hay being laid thereon and spread out preparatory to pushing it upon the feed-chains 15. This plate preferably extends above the sprocket- Wheel 16 at the front end of the machine. The feeding of the chains accomplished by the action of the pawl 11 in connection with the ratchet 10 issuch as to cause the material to travel from the feed-plate 20 toward and beneath the stitching-needles at the center of the machine. As t e material z proaches the stitching-needles it is desirab e to hold the same more or less firmly upon the feedingchains, and for this purpose the material is caused to pass beneath the arms or longitudinally-arranged bars 21 having upturned ends.

These bars are preferably pivoted at 27 to an upper pressure-frame, which is arranged to the rear thereof. In this manner the front ends of the bars are free to rise and fall oftheir own weight in pressing upon the fibrous material fed to the stitching mechanism.

To insure a proper holding of the fibers of the hay as the same are being stitched, I employ a pressure or tension frame, which extends beyond the stit ching-needles to the front and rear. This frame is made up of longitudinally-arranged bars 22, preferably located directly above the outer feed-chains 15. Cross-bars 23 extend from one pressure-bar22 to the other transversely of the machine and loosely engage vertical pins or studs 25. These studs or pins 25 are )rovided with heads at their upper ends, an springs 26 are arranged upon the said pins or studs and shouldered against the heads 25, their lower ends bearing against the upper surfaces of the transverse bars 23. The whole frame thus formed is normally pressed downwardly by the action of the springs 26. The material as it approaches the frame is properly guided beneath the same by the pivoted arms 2], heretofore described. In addition to the outer bars of the frame I also secure to the cross-bars 22 an intermediate pressure-bar 24',which is formed with an upturned end at the front, so that the fibrous materials or hay will easily pass beneath the saine. This intermediate pressure-bar 24u is preferably located in line with and directly above the intermediate feed-chain 15. By this mechanism it will be seen that the fibers or strands of hay which have been spread. upon the chains can be firmly held at their ends upon each side of the machine when the stitching operation is performed.

About centrally ofthe machine is mounted the stitching mechanism, which in order to properlydraw the threads or twine about the strands of the.hay is provided with needles and loopers and also with auxiliary loop-holding mechanism. In stitching hay or fibrous material into a continuous strip-such, for instance, as usual in forming wrappers for bottles or other articles-it is needful to have a plurality of stitches located near the edges of the strip, and at intermediate points, if desired. For the sake of description and illustration I have shown the machine in the accompanying drawings provided with two sets of needles arranged to stitch along adjacent to the outer edges of the completed web.

Rising from the frame-bed 3 are side brackets 3, which are rigidly secured and transversely arranged upon the cross-head 3b. Upon one face of the cross-head 3b is secured guiding means for the vertically-operable needle-carrying bars 52. These needle-bars are connected and reciprocated by a crosslhead 51, which is connected by means of a pitman 49, pivotally secured thereto by a pin 50, with a wrist-pin 48 projecting from the disk 47. The disk 47 is actuated by a shaft 46, which is carried in suitable bearings upon the cross-plate 3b. The said shaft 46 is rocked by means of a slotted arm 41, which projects from a second rock-shaft 40, also mounted in bearings upon the crossplate 3b. The slot formed in the arm 41 is engaged by a bearing-block 43, which is secured upon a wrist-pin 44, carried by an arm IOO iIO

. 45, which projects from the Shaft 4e. The

different radial movements of arm 41 and the arm 45 are thus accommodated in imparting movementt from the shaft 40 to the shaft 46.

The shaft` 40 is rocked by means of an arm 39, which is connected by a pitman 38 with the Wristfpin carried by the disk 37. The said disk 37 is rigidly secured to the actuatH ing-shaft 5. The radial distance of the wristpin on the disk 37 is smaller than the radial distance from the center of the shaft 40 to the end of the lever 39, and a complete rotation of the disk 37 will thus operate to pro are loopers 60, which are adj ustably secured to the upper ends of rocking arms by means of adjustable clamps 61. The arms 55 are carried by sleeves pivotally mounted upon a shaft 56, which extends transversely of the machine and is supported in suitable stand.- ards rising from the frame thereof. Actuating-arms 55a project downwardly from the said sleeve and extend to points in close proximity to the actuating-cams 54, which are rigidly carried by the shaft 5. The arms 55a` carry antifriction-'rollers which run upon the peripheries of the cams 54. The arms 55ab are held against the said cams by springs 59. The cams 54 are provided with depressed portions at one point in their peripheries, into which the rollers of the arms 55a drop for carrying the loopers forward to catch the loops of the needles. The continued rotation of the cams cause the retracting of the needles at the proper time.

Coperating with the loopers are hooks 64, which are carried by the outer free ends of arms 70, which are rigidly secured to the shafts 68. The shafts 68 are mounted at their ends in brackets which rise from the frame, and the said shafts are preferably so tween the peripherypfthe cam at a short distance from the center of movement and a portion of the cam which is at a greater radial distance from the center of movement. As each cam 65 rotates, the rollers 66 gradually descend into the recess 75 and will be bearings in the outer ends of the arms 70,

land each of said hooks is provided with a crank-arm 71, which is provided. with a wrist-pin 72, extending therefrom, andengaging a slotted projection 73, which extends downwardly from the framing. The

wrist-pin 72 may be provided witn antifriction-rollers 72a for engaging the bifurcated extensions 73. Since the crank 71 is rigidly secured to the shank of the hook 64 and since the wrist-pin 72 engages the xed bifurcated projection, it will be evident that a rocking movement given to the arm will cause the hook to be turned over or rotated about its longitudinal axis. In this manner the nook may be thrown into the loop formed by the looper and temporarily hold it,sai.d hook releasing the loop after the stitch is completed. Before the material which has passed to the stitching mechanism reaches it it is trimmed to a given length, and for this purpose I employ rotary cutters 35 and 36, there being a pair of said cutters upon each side of the machine, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. The cutters 35 are rigidly mounted upon a shaft 30, which extends across thel framing of the machine, and one end of said shaft is .provided with a sprocket-wheel 29, which is connected by a sprocket-chain 31 with a sprocket-wheel 28 on the shaft 5. The shaft 30 is thus rotated in conjunction with the operation of the shaft 5. The cutters 36 are carried by a shaft 34, parallel with the shaft 30 and preferably mounted directly beneath it, and motion is transmitted from the shaft 30 to a shaft 34 by intermeshing gears 32 and 33, secured to the ends of said shafts. Thecutters 35 and 36 are oppositely beveled, their cutting edges being brought together to ake a shearing cut, as clearly illustrated in ig. 6. preferably notched, as' shown in Fig. 3, which notching of the cutters is found to assist in the drawing forward and feeding of the niaterial past the cutters.

At the end of the machine a cutting mechanism of a different type is employed and which iscapable of cutting off the stitched material in given lengths. This end cutting mechanism comprises a shaft 80, mounted in journals at the end ofthe machine and carrying cutter-heads joined by a cutting-knife 77. This knife 77 operates in conjunction with a fixed knife 76,' which is secured to the end rail of the frame. The knife 77 is rotated by means of gears 78 and 79, which intermesh, one of said gears 78 being rigidly fastened to the shaft 9, while the other gear 79 is rigidly secured to the shaft 80. The knife 77 is thus intermittently rotated by the action of the shaft 9, which is operated by the ratchet 10.

The knife 77 is held in its fixed position byclamping-screws 77a. By loosening these IOO These cutters35 and 36 are also IIO screws and turning said screws 77b the knife may be accurately adjusted to make a shear cut in conjunction with the knife 7 6. Althrough the knife 77 is carried in an arc of small diameter, it is only operated by an intermittent movement received from the shaft 9, and thus the piece of stitched material which is cut off will be amply long for forming bottle-wrappers or other desired articles.

In the operation of the machine the hay, straw, grass, or other fibrous material is spread upon the belt 20 so that the strands thereof extend transversely of the machine, and the material is then pushed from the belt upon the chains 15. 'lhe material will be carried beneath the movable ends of the bars 21 and then beneath the pressureframe formed by the bars 22. The material will first encounter the trimming- knives 35 and 36, which being connected with the shaft 5 are continuously rotated, trimming the fibers to a proper length before they are passed to the stitching mechanism. After passing the knives the fibrous material is carried to the needles for forming stitches near each edge of the line of fibrous material. The needles 53 are supplied with yarn or cord 62a, which is lead from a bobbin 62, mounted upon the upper edge of the cross-plate 3b, the strands of thread, yarn, or cord being carried upwardly from the bobbins to the guides 62h and thence downwardly through guides 52at carried by the needle-bars, and thence through guideeyes 52h, secured to the face of the crossplate 3b. The material is then lead to the closed eyes of the needles 53. The loopers are supplied with thread or cord from bobbins 63, mounted upon the lower portion of the frame, the said thread or cord being lead upwardly and through apertures formed in the frame and thence to the loopers. Any desired tension mechanism may be used for controlling the feed of the threads or cords to the stitching mechanism. As the material passes between the needles and loopers the needles move downwardly through the grass or fiber, carrying a loop of cord with them. The needles to reach their lowest points are slightly raised again through the action of the disk 47, which carries the wrist pin 48 slightly beyond the lower dead-center of its movement. This causes the formation of a more permanent loop beneath the grass or hay and insures the engaging of said loops by the loopers. At this time the cams 54 operate to throw the loopers 60 upwardly and through the loops formed by the needles. The points of the loopers 60 are preferably slightly bent downwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, so that the loops of the needles will be held by the loopers while the needles are being raised. The loopers in passing through the loops carry a loop of the lower cord with them and hold them in position to be engaged by the rocking hooks 64. The relative positions of the cams and 54 are such that the hooks will at this time be thrown downwardly into the loops which were brought in by the loopers. After the hooks have engaged the low'er loops the loopers quickly return to their outermost positions, and at the same time the upper needles descend again, pulling the upper thread through the tension mechanism suiiciently to permit of the upper loop being extended far enough to form the proper stitch, after which the needle returns. The hook 64 retains the lower loop until the needle descends through the lower loop, after which theliook is rocked, quickly releasing the loop. The operation is repeated for each stitch. The machine is generally used in sewing marsh-hay into packing-strips in two or more series of lock chain-stitches. In sewing such coarse material as hay or the like it is desirable te use a comparatively coarse thread or cord, and the action of the needles and loopers, together with the liolding-hook, is such as to be admirably adapted for using such kinds of coarse material. The machine is positive in its action, and the securing of the cams and the other needle-operating mechanism to a single driving-shaft makes it possible to exactly and accurately time the movement of the needles and loopers and the hooks with respect to each other. The strips of packing material can be in any suitable lengths (the trimming-knives to be set the proper distance apart to cut the material in the length desired) for packing various articles-such, for instance, as bottles or similar closures. Of course it will be understood that the machine can be employed for stitching other articles, as desired.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, ish

1. A machine of the class described, comprising a stitching mechanism, endless means for carrying fibers arranged in approximately parallel arrangement, means for exerting a pressure upon the said fibrous material, pivoted guide means for leading the material beneath the pressure means and means for giving the feeding mechanism an intermittent movement.

2. A iibrous-material-stitching machine comprising a longitudinal supporting-frame, an endless traveling conveyer moving therewith, a spring-pressed frame arranged above said conveyer for pressing the material against it, stitching-needles mounted above the said conveyer, thread-loopers arranged below the conveyer and adjacent to the points occupied by the needles when lowered, and rocking hooks operating in conjunction with the loopers.

3. A machine for stitching fibrous material, comprising traveling means for carrying the material, stitching-needles operating above the conveyer so as to engage the IOO lIO

i fibrous material as it is fed to the stitching mechanism, loopers below the said needles, a rock-shaft for actuating the loopers, loop-holding hooks cooperating with the loopers, rock-shafts for carrying the hooks, and a common shaft provided with means for operating all of said rock-shafts in proper timedrelation to each other.

4. A machine for stitching fibrous material, comprising means for carrying the material to the stitching mechanism, guiding and pressing devices mounted above the same stitching-needles arranged to engage the material, loopers for engaging the thread carried by the needles, arms carrying said loopers, rock-shafts carrying the arms, cams for actuating the loopers in proper relation to the movement of the stitching-needles and loop-holding hooks cooperating with the loopers.

5. A machine for stitching fibrous material, comprising a traveling conveyer, stitching-needles capable of engaging the material, loopers, loop-holdinghooks, rock-shafts carrying the loopers and the hooks, cams for operating the looper rock-shaft and the shafts of the hooks in proper timed relation, and acommon rock-shaft carryingthe said cams.

6. A mechanism for stitching fibers into a continuous strip comprising a supportingframe, a traveling conveyer moving over the same, a plurality of stitching-needles mounted above the conveyer, a plurality of oscillating loopers arranged below the conveyer, rocking hooks operating adjacent to the loopers and in conjunction therewith, and fixed means for causing the rocking of the hooks when the said hooks are moved bodily from side to side.

7. A fibrous stitching machine for formin elongated strips comprising a supportingframe, longitudinally-traveling endless conveyers for carrying'thefibrous materialover the frame, reciprocating needles mounted above the conveyer, loopers mounted below the conveyer, rocking hooks also mounted below the conveyer and having arms projecting therefrom, n xed means engaging said arms, and movable means carrying the needles, said fixed means causing the rocking of the hooks when the said movable means is operated.

8. A wrapper-stitching mechanism, com- 'prising a frame, a feeding mechanism mounted thereon, a stitching mechanism and a pressure-frame mounted above the feeding mechanism comprising longitudinal bars, and cross connecting-bars, springs engaging the cross-bars for forcing the frame downwardly with a'yielding pressure, pins carrying the said springs and having heads as a bearing j therefor.

9. A mechanism of the class described, comprising `a frame, an endless conveyer traveling over the bed-plate of said frame, a pressure-frame arranged above the conveyer having pivoted receiving'endportions, and spring-actuated means for forcing the frame downwardly upon material carried by the conveyer.

10.,A machine for stitching fibrous material into strips comprising an elongated traveling conveyer, a needle stitching mech-` anism mounted above the same, oscillating loopers mounted below the same and cooperating with the stitching mechanism, oscillating arms moving at right angles to the oscillating loopers, rocking shafts carried in the free ends of said arms and having thread-engaging hooks at their ends, arms projecting from said rock device, and fixed guides engaging said arms and causing the rocking of the said rock device when the oscillating arms are moved from side to side.

11. A machine for stitching fibrous material into strips, comprising a frame having longitudinally-arranged supporting-bars, endless chains traveling over and resting upon the said su porting-bars, sprocketwheels supporting tlie said chains, a ratchet mechanism for driving the chains with an intermittent feed, -an assembling-plate upon which the fibrous material may be arranged preparatory to pushing it upon the traveling chains, a pressure-frame arranged to engage the fibrous material upon the to and a stitching mechanism for stitching tfie material into a strip, springs engaging the frame at suitable points for exerting a yielding on the same, the, pressure-frame olding t e material properly while the stitching mechanism is operating upon it. 12. A machine for stitching fibrous material, comprising a traveling conveyer, reciprocating stitching-needles, rocking loopers, a rock-shaft carrrying said loopers, loo -hold- IOO ing hooks having cranks formed t ereon,

engaging said arms and rocking the hooks and a rotating shaft for actuating all of the said cams.

14. A machine for producing packing material from fibrous hay or the like, comprising a traveling conveyer for feeding the material to the machine, a stitching mechanism, means for moving the material intermittently being needles, a, crank-arm formed upon thel tween the stitches, a rotating cutter means for connecting the said cutter with the intermittent feed-actuating mechanism, comprising gearing and means for actuating the stitching mechanism in correspondence with the feed of the conveyer.

15. A machine for producing packingstrips from iibrous material comprising a conveyer, a stitching mechanism, reciprocating needles, a rock-shaft for operating the needles, a crank-arm for actuating the rockshaft, a rock-lever having a movable engagement with the crank-arm, a pitman for rocking the said rock-lever, a disk connected with hekpitman, and a shaft for actuating the said 16. A machine for producing a web of fibrous packing material, comprising a feeding mechanism, a stitching mechanism made up of reciprocating needles, rocking needles, rocking hooks mounted adjacent to the rocksaid rocking hooks, fixed guides engaging the said crank-arms, arms for moving the hooks with respect to the said guides and producing their rocking action, and cams for rocking the said arms.

17. A machine for stitchingy fibrous packing-strips, comprising a frame, a traveling conveyer and an elongated pressure-frame engaging the material, stitching-needles engaging the material, loopers operating beneath the upper portion of the conveyer for forming loops, a rock-shaft having laterallyprojecting arms for carrying the said loopers, the loop-holding hooks having crank-shaped end portions, arms carrying said hooks, guides engaging the crank-sha ed end portions and causing the turning o the hooks as they are carried back and forth by the said arms, rock-shafts carrying the said arms and cams for rocking the said shafts and causing a proper timed operation of parts with respect to each other.

18. A mechanism Jfor stitching fibrous material, comprising feeding means, stitching means made up of upper reciprocating needles, lower bent looping-needles, rocking arms carrying the looping-needles, cams having depressed portions in their peripheries for rocking said arms, means for holding the arms against the said cams, rocking hooks cooperating with the looping-needles, arms for rocking said hooks, cam-engaging arms connected with said rocking arms, cams for engaging the actuating-arms, said cams having depressed portions in their peripheries, means for holding the actuating-arms in engagement with the said cams and a common actuating-shaft carrying the said cams.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM DICHMANN.

Witnesses:

W. H. WYMAN, A. R. WATERHoUsE.

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